Faced with severe issues regarding human rights, such as prison camps and threats of harsh censorship, many North Koreans choose to become refugees to escape the inhumane totalitarian regime. In 2010, the number of North Korean refugees in South Korea marked 20,000, recording a notable increase from year 2000. On the way to South Korea, North Korean refugees create routes across China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, hoping to reach the mainland alive. However, such journey is not promising – it may involve loss of loved ones, separation from family members, repatriation, and in extreme cases, death. In order to prevent the vicious cycle of such dehumanizing process, light of human rights must be shone upon them.

This is an interesting article about the increasing spread of South Korean TV drama, entertainment shows among the North Korean residents. A British documentary called “Life Inside the Secret State,” directed by James Jones, has captured ordinary citizens of North Korea watching South Korean entertainment shows.

According to this article, more and more North Koreans, after watching South Korean or Western media, are developing feelings of suspicion and dissatisfaction toward the North Korean regime. They are also aware of the freedom that ordinary people have in other countries, such as freedom of press.

Numerous news sources have reported that many North Korean residents have been caught and publicly executed (shot with gun) for watching outside media. The victims include individuals as young as middle school students. According to the press reports, the bodies were shattered into unrecognizable pieces. North Korea should compensate for the lost lives of the people by halting its public execution policy. I hope more documentaries like “Life Inside the Secret State” will be available so that people, aware of such dismal crisis in North Korea, can take action to pressure North Korea to end this humanitarian crisis.

The upcoming June 25th marks the 63rd anniversary of the Korean War. This significant, yet horrific event of our history left generations of people with irrevocable agonies and losses. Thus, it is crucial that the deceased are commemorated and remembered for their bravery and sacrifice.

It was June 25, 1950. The first shots were heard on this peaceful Sunday at dawn, as Kim Il-Sung’s North Korean Communist troops invaded South Korea without notice. The surprise attack marked the beginning of the Korean War, which lasted three years from 1950 to 1953. After the North Korean army crossed the 38th border, the U.S. troops, led by General Douglass MacArthur, came to support non-Communist South Korea. With the support of the United Nations, MacArthur aggressively landed on Inchon, crushing the North Korean army. Upon his landing, he also recaptured Seoul; he went even further north, attempting to reunify Korea. The struggle for land between Communist Soviet Union and Anti-Communist American troops continued, even when the peace negotiations began in Kaesong in 1951. The negotiations took place in Panmunjom from 1951 to 1952, as each side refused to compromise. A peace treaty was finally signed in 1953 at Panmunjom, declaring the division between North and South Korea at the 38th parallel. The status of the country, if not worse, was the same as before the tragic war happened.

The ramifications of the war are evident: the separated families, disconnection between North and South, and emerging hostility and distrust. As the war literature and art reflect, the painful memories of war have become ingrained in our culture. It is everyone’s responsibility to remember and preserve the chapter of Korean history that left us with tears, trauma, and resilience for the future.

LiNK is a non-profit organization that works to spread awareness of the human rights crisis in North Korea. They present their own documentaries about the process of rescuing the refugees from North Korea. It takes around $600-$700 dollars to rescue a refugee! Please visithttp://libertyinnorthkorea.org
for more info! 🙂